When you try to live for God and the world, you find that you cannot do both. I heard a story once about a soldier in the Civil War. This soldier could not make up his mind what side he wanted to be on, so he put on the coat of the Union forces and the pants of the Confederate Soldiers and joined in the fight. The bad thing for this soldier was that because he did not choose a side; now he was being shot at by both the Union Army and the Confederate Army. Many times the choices we make end just like this soldier. When we attempt to live our lives on both sides, we live a life of confusion and compromise. Living for both sides is a life of compromise and a very dangerous way to pursue life.
Do you remember Lot? Lot was the classic compromiser even though he was a believer. Although he was a believer is made many mistakes along the way because of compromise.
Genesis 19:14 tells us, “14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters. He said, "Hurry and get out of this place, because the LORD is about to destroy the city!" But his sons-in-law thought he was joking” (NIV).
Lot lived in corrupt city called Sodom. He was also at one point, a leader in the city of Sodom. However, he was so wrapped up in sin that when he went to tell his son-in-law’s about the judgment God was to bring on the city; they just laughed at him and thought it was a big joke. His witness for God had no power, because his example was so tarnished by compromise.
“I must watch my example, because others ALWAYS watch my example” (DWChing 2003).
Lot’s example meant nothing to his son-in-law’s. He compromised so many times that nothing he could say would make people believe in what he was saying to them. Has this life of compromise happened to you? Is it currently the way others see you? Is your spiritual life getting weaker by the minute? When someone says something dirty around you, do you just take it in stride and keep going because it has no shock value at all in your life? How much have you begun to tolerate? Does your Christian witness and the words you speak, fall on deaf ears and have no effect on the non-believers you are trying to reach?
Such is the life of compromising confusion. A truth in the life of compromising confusion; you can never bring others up and you only can bring others down.
Do you want to change your character of a compromising confusion-ist? Do you want to change your direction and be the witness for Christ you are called to be? Then change your thinking to Godly thinking. Change your actions to Godly actions. Change your direction to a Godly direction. Get on the Godly side and stay there and stop jumping back and forth from side to side.
It’s a choice and there is a right and wrong decision. Are you willing to make that right choice? There’s no better day than today.
David W. Ching
Senior Pastor
Houston Fellowship
Church of the Nazarene
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